Obituary of Ward W. Westerberg

Ward W. Westerberg, 65, of 31 New York Avenue, Lakewood, died Thursday, February 10, 2011, at UPMC Hamot Medical Center, Erie, PA. A Jamestown area resident since 1950, he was born May 28, 1945 in San Francisco, CA, a son of the late Rev. Dr. Paul A. and Rachel Sward Westerberg. He graduated from Jamestown High School in 1963, Wagner College in 1967 and University of Buffalo School of Law in 1972. He was a Vietnam War veteran serving in the US Army 198th Infantry, Americal Division, for which he earned the Combat Infantry Badge and received of the Bronze Star. Ward's career in law began at the Dunkirk office of the Chautauqua County Legal Aid. He then became associated with and served as a partner at the law firm Johnson, Peterson, Tener and Anderson, which later became Price, Flowers, Malin and Westerberg. He has served as legal counsel for the Village of Lakewood continuously since his initial appointment in 1979. In addition to being licensed to practice law in both New York and Pennsylvania, he was admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States in May of 1976. He was a member of First Lutheran Church where he served on the church council, the council's finance committee, and sang in the choir. His other memberships included the Jamestown Bar Association, Jamestown Rotary Club, and the Norden Club of Jamestown where he had been past president and served on the board of directors. He also served on the board of the James Prendergast Library. Surviving are his wife the former Sharon Griffith, whom he married June 19, 1971; two children Emily (Robert) Russell of Washington, DC and Paul (Devon) Westerberg of Alexandria, VA; two grandchildren Annika June Russell and Ingrid Sward Russell, both of Washington, DC; and a sister Ruth Marie Rulifson of Wichita, KS. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother Paul A. Westerberg of Arlington, NJ. The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday in First Lutheran Church. Rev. Alison L. Leitzel will officiate. Burial will be in Lake View Cemetery. Friends will be received from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Monday in the Lind Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the First Lutheran Church Memorial Fund, 120 Chandler Street, Jamestown, NY 14701 or Alzheimer's Association of Western New York, 2805 Wehrle Drive Suite 6, Buffalo, NY 14221-1198. You may light a candle in remembrance of Ward at www.lindfuneralhome.com.